Berlin - Saba:
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced the dissolution of parliament and set February 23 as the date for early elections, at the proposal of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The move comes after the disintegration of the ruling coalition following the dismissal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner, of the Free Democratic Party, over a dispute over government borrowing, which led to Schultz's loss of his parliamentary majority.
Opinion polls put Friedrich Merz's conservative opposition ahead at 31 percent, followed by the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 19 percent, and Schulz's Social Democrats (SPD) in third place with 16 percent. On the other hand, the FDP faces the risk of leaving parliament with only 4% support.
The election is a crucial test for Chancellor Schultz and his party as he seeks to narrow the gap with the Conservatives and restore voter confidence amid intense political competition and mounting domestic crises.
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